Terms of Service

Last updated: pending publication. Effective date: pending publication.

1. Who we are

Fold Commons is a non-profit organisation (legal incorporation + fiscal sponsorship in progress). "We," "us," and "our" refer to Fold Commons. "You" refers to the user.

2. What you agree to

By installing or using any Fold Commons app — FoldLens, FoldCompare, FoldVision, ResearchAtlas, or others — you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, don't install or use the apps.

3. License to use

We grant you a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the apps for any lawful purpose, personal or commercial. The license is free of charge and does not expire as long as you respect these terms.

The app's source code is separately licensed under Apache 2.0 (at v1.0+; pre-v1 the source is private but the binary you receive via App Store is still subject to these terms). The Apache 2.0 license governs your rights to modify and redistribute the source code. These terms govern your rights to use the compiled binary as distributed.

4. The science disclaimer

This section is load-bearing and you should read it before using any portfolio app.

• The protein structures shown in our apps are predicted by the AlphaFold model family, OpenFold, Boltz, ESMFold, and similar AI systems — they are not experimental measurements.
• The confidence values shown (pLDDT, PAE, pTM, ipTM) are model self-assessments. Low confidence regions are flagged but you must interpret them yourself.
• Our apps surface a portion of the science but do not replace consultation with experimental data (PDB), peer-reviewed literature, or qualified scientific judgment.
• Do not use our apps as the sole basis for any clinical, diagnostic, treatment, regulatory, or commercial decision. They are educational and reference tools.

If you want function predictions, binding-site assertions, or interpretations beyond what AlphaFold's pLDDT bands honestly support, you must verify against external sources.

5. Apple's role and Apple's terms

You obtain Fold Commons apps through the Apple App Store. Apple's standard EULA (Licensed Application End User License Agreement) applies in addition to these terms. Where these terms and Apple's EULA conflict on a specific issue, Apple's EULA prevails for that issue per Apple's distribution requirements.

You acknowledge that Apple is not a party to these terms and has no obligation to provide maintenance and support of the apps. Apple is, however, an intended third-party beneficiary of these terms and can enforce them against you per Apple's standard developer agreement.

6. What we provide and what we don't

We provide:

• The apps, free, as-is.
• Source code under Apache 2.0 at v1.0+ via GitHub.
• Privacy by default — we do not collect, sell, or share anything about you (see our privacy policy).
• Best-effort response to questions and bug reports.

We do not provide:

• Service-level agreements.
• Uptime guarantees.
• Custom development.
• Paid support tiers.
• Warranties of any kind beyond those non-disclaimable under applicable law.

The apps are provided AS IS. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all express or implied warranties, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement.

7. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, our total liability arising from your use of the apps is limited to the amount you paid us for the apps — which is zero because the apps are free. We are not liable for any indirect, consequential, incidental, special, or exemplary damages.

This section does not limit liability that cannot be limited under applicable law (such as for gross negligence, willful misconduct, or where consumer-protection laws apply).

8. Your responsibilities

You agree to:

• Use the apps lawfully and respectfully.
• Comply with the Code of Conduct when participating in our community channels.
• Not attempt to reverse-engineer the binary in ways that violate Apple's developer agreement (note: the source is open under Apache 2.0 at v1.0+, so reverse-engineering is largely unnecessary).
• Not misrepresent the apps' outputs as experimental measurements or as our personal endorsement of any particular scientific claim.

9. Third-party services

The apps may reach the AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (alphafold.ebi.ac.uk) operated by EMBL-EBI and Google DeepMind, and Apple iCloud (if you opt in to sync). Those services have their own terms; you are subject to them when you use them. Fold Commons is not responsible for changes to those terms or service.

10. Modifications

We may update these terms as the portfolio evolves. Material changes are announced on our GitHub Discussions and Mastodon at least 7 days before they take effect. The "Last updated" date at the top of this document tracks the current version.

By continuing to use the apps after a material change, you accept the updated terms. If you don't accept the updated terms, stop using the apps; you may delete them at any time.

11. Termination

You can stop using the apps at any time by deleting them. We can suspend or terminate access for users who violate these terms or the Code of Conduct.

12. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the non-profit is incorporated or its fiscal sponsor is registered. Exclusive jurisdiction for any dispute is the courts of that jurisdiction, except where applicable consumer-protection laws require otherwise.

13. Severability

If any provision of these terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

14. Contact

hello@foldcommons.org. For legal-specific matters: legal@foldcommons.org.